Bali has ramped up efforts to contain the spread of the rabies virus after 15 climbers were bitten by an infected dog on the hiking trails of the Tabanan regency.
The aggressive dog, believed to be behind all of the attacks along the slopes of Mount Batukaru in Pujungan village, was captured and euthanised.
Laboratory tests confirmed it was carrying the rabies virus.
In response, authorities on the Indonesian resort island have launched an emergency mass vaccination drive, rescued and relocated dogs, and stepped up vigilance against rabid canines.
The Tabanan Agriculture Agency said it had vaccinated nearly 500 dogs – both stray and domestic – as part of its emergency drive.
Gede Eka Parta Ariana, head of the agency’s livestock and animal health division, said the campaign was focused on “red zone” areas identified as high risk for rabies transmission.
“At least nine stray dogs around the area have also been rescued and taken to an animal shelter by a team from a local non-governmental organisation working in collaboration with our agency,” he told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
He said relocating stray dogs to shelters was essential to stop the virus from spreading to other wildlife, including monkeys found around Mt Batukaru.
Mr Partha urged climbers to avoid feeding stray dogs along the hiking trails, saying this could have contributed to an increase in the stray dog population in the area.
“This mass vaccination step is a shared vigilance. The aim is to cut off the potential spread of rabies and protect the community,” he explained.
Surya Wira Andi, head of the Tabanan Health Agency said “most of the victims were bitten on the feet” and all received the necessary vaccination and were on course to complete the full three-dose regimen within a month.
Bali is among Indonesia’s rabies hotspots, logging an average of 183 suspected rabies bites every day.
In just the first half of this year, the island recorded over 34,000 animal attacks, leading to at least 12 human deaths, according to the local disaster mitigation agency.
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